Technology
Could a Little Black Box Transform Road Funding in the U.S.?
Southern California's powerful regional planning association is one of the many public agencies across the United States that sees the future of road funding in a new technology called a 'black box'.
Breakthrough Building is Assembled Like an Airplane Engine
In Brooklyn's Navy Yard, the largest modular high-rise building in the world is being assembled one floor at a time by teams of 10 to 15 union workers. Sydney Brownstone tours the milestone in modular construction.
Cyber Attack Causes Eight-Hour Traffic Jam
Last month, hackers were able to shut down Haifa's Carmel Tunnels toll road, a major thoroughfare in Israel's third-largest city, in two days of cyber attacks. The attacks should come as a warning for our increasingly automated infrastructure.
As Electric Vehicles "Lose Their Spark" State Governments Try to Give a Jump-Start
Kirk Kardashian examines the headwinds confronting the much-hyped, but poorly selling, E.V. industry in the aftermath of a disappointing year. Meanwhile California, New York and six other states have announced plans to help energize sales.
Port Truckers Strike over Clean-Air Regulations
Nonunion truckers at the Port of Oakland are on a work-stoppage over both work rules and compliance with a 2008 CARB diesel regulation requiring drayage trucks to be 2007 or newer. They want a year extension and more funding to assist in compliance.
What Will it Take to Better Balance Bike Share Systems?
As we've noted here, some of the most popular bike share systems have been victims of their own success, with high use docking stations often full or empty - depending on the time of day. Henry Grabar examines efforts to automate the rebalancing act.
Civic Tech and Mobile Engagement 2.0
Community engagement efforts increasingly look to harness mobile devices and mobile applications to access, inform, and empower the public. However the mobile market is evolving at a fast pace, which complicates our understanding of what works best.
Innovative Energy-Storing Solar Power Plant Debuts in Arizona
Energy storage is acknowledged by many as a missing link of renewable energy, particularly by those quick to cite the intermittency of solar and wind power. A new solar thermal plant in Arizona stores energy in the form of heat for peak hour needs.
The Gold Standard for Civic Data Delivery
Emily Badger is extremely impressed—and for good reason—with the City of Los Angeles' new neighborhood data portal, built in connection with the development a new health and wellness chapter for the city's General Plan.
BART Workers Strike Over "Work Rules"
For the second time in four months, during which time negotiations had continued, BART workers went on strike Friday morning, creating huge challenges for the 400,000 commuters who rely on it daily in four Bay Area counties.
Trick Out Your Street With Two New Design Tools
People-powered street design is getting a major boost with the help of two new tools that make it easy to reimagine unsatisfactory streetscapes.
Could a Secret Google Project Revolutionize Design and Construction?
News of a secretive, and vague, software platform developed by Google X, the company's research and development wing, has design and construction bloggers abuzz. An internal report claims "Genie" could halve construction costs and project timelines.
The Dangers of Distracted Subway Riding
Former Treasury Secretary LaHood made distracted driving a pet cause. The dangers of walking and texting are well documented. But would could straphangers have to fear from smartphones? Plenty, as the death of a S.F. Muni rider illustrates.
Top 100 City Innovators Worldwide
To celebrate its first anniversary, Future Cities has assembled a list of the top 100 city innovators making the biggest difference across a range of industries and specialties.
Making the Camera Your Friend
The role of photography in urban planning should not be underestimated. Visual communication is incredibly important and powerful. Michael Heater provides a guide to using photos to remember, inspire, and create.
What if the Smart Cities of the Future Are Full of Bugs?
In an excerpt on Places from his new book, Smart Cities, urban forecaster Anthony Townsend considers the inevitable glitches.
NYC's Open Data Rollout Collides With Reluctant Departments
The NYPD's failure to produce usable traffic crash data, or agree to change their data gathering and reporting procedures, is just one example of the obstacles confronting implementation of the city's landmark open data law.
Technology Gives Form and Face to a Forgotten Place
In an excerpt from his new book, Anthony Townsend explains how a volunteer effort is combining consumer technologies with open source GIS to chart one of Africa’s largest and most notorious slums.
New Rooftop Solar Laws in California Benefit Homeowners and Utilities
In the last week to sign bills, Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 327 that allows utilities to charge all ratepayers for costs incurred to the grid by rooftop solar and allows those who have it to 'run the meter backwards', known as net metering.
As Tech Grows, So Does San Francisco's Influence
Nathan Heller illuminates how the tech industry has rendered San Francisco the new "power city" for U.S. economic growth and culture.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
